Author Archives: John

Bruckner Mass No. 3 ‘Great’: Royal Northern Sinfonia; Chorus of Royal Northern Sinfonia; Durham University Choral Society. Thomas Zehetmair conductor. Elizabeth Watts soprano; Hannah Hipp mezzo-soprano; Thomas Atkins tenor; Mark Stone baritoneThe Big Bruckner Weekend involved not only two concerts but also the Chorus of the Royal Northern Sinfonia singing a selection of Bruckner’s motetsContinue reading “The Big Bruckner Weekend, Glasshouse, Gateshead    2/3/24 – Bruckner Mass”

Brahms, Violin Concerto; Shostakovich Symphony No 4. Sir Simon Rattle conductor; Isabelle Faust violin; London Symphony Orchestra This was a very generously planned concert. It is ages and ages since I sat down and listened intently to the Brahms concerto. My abiding memory from my teenage years of listening to this work is of IdaContinue reading “LSO, Rattle – Brahms/Shostakovich. Barbican 29/2/24”

Director, Tim Albery; Set Designer, Michael Levine; Costume Designer. Constance Hoffman; Lighting Designer, David Finn; Movement, Philippe Giraudeau; Conductor, Henrik Nánási. Cast: The Dutchman, Bryn Terfel; Senta, Elisabet Strid; Daland, Stephen Milling; Erik, Toby Spence; Mary, Kseniia Nikolaieva; Steersman, Miles Mykkanen I saw this production in 2015, conducted by Andris Nelsons with, as this time,Continue reading “Wagner, Der Fliegende Hollander (dress rehearsal):ROHCG  27/2/24”

Britten Sinfonia, Guy Johnston cello: Beethoven Grosse Fuge Op.133; Bartók Divertimento for String Orchestra; Tavener The Protecting Veil This, by contrast to the previous concert, did not seem to be a clear model of coherent programming. Other than the fact that all the works are focused on the use of a string chamber orchestra, IContinue reading “Britten Sinfonia – Beethoven, Bartok, Tavener; Bridgewater Hall 20/2/24”

Clemens Schuldt conductor, Siobhan Stagg soprano, Markus Butter baritone. Hallé Choir;  Strauss Metamorphosen; Brahms Ein Deutsches Requiem As I may have said somewhere else on this blog, the Brahms Requiem is one of the very few pieces of music I have actually sung in live performance, with St John’s College Music Society at Cambridge beforeContinue reading “Halle Orchestra, Schuldt – R,Strauss/Brahms; Bridgewater Hall 15/2/24”

Anton Bruckner Symphony No 9 (Ed Benjamin-Gunnar Cohrs); Te Deum (Ed Ernst Herttrich 2015). Performers – London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, Nathalie Stutzmann, conductor; Lucy Crowe soprano; Anna Stéphany mezzo-soprano; Robin Tritschler tenor; Alexander Tsymbalyuk bass I was hoping to have gone to a very interesting Halle concert before going down to London for thisContinue reading “LSO, Stutzmann, Bruckner – Barbican, 11/2/24”

Haydn String Quartet In G Minor, Op. 20 No. 3; Shostakovich String Quartet No. 7 In F Sharp Minor, Op. 108; Britten 3 Divertimenti For String Quartet; Danish Folk Music (‘Wood works’) This was an interesting programme, though I am not sure an entire second half of Danish re-imagined folk music quite worked – toContinue reading “Danish String Quartet: Stoller Hall, Manchester – 29/1/24”

John Storgårds, conductor; Christian Tetzlaff violin. Prokofiev Cinderella, Suite No. 2, Op. 108, Thomas Adès Violin Concerto, ‘Concentric Paths’; Shostakovich Symphony No. 1 in F minor This looked in prospect to be a fascinating programme: – a very competent conductor, a famous violinist, a Thomas Ades piece I hadn’t heard before, and a chance toContinue reading “Shostakovich/Prokofiev/Ades: BBC Philharmonic, Bridgewater Hall, 27/1/24”

Conductor, Antonio Pappano; Elektra, Ausrine Stundyte; Chrysothemis, Sara Jakubiak; Klytämnestra, Karita Mattila; Orest, Łukasz Goliński; Ägisth, Charles Workman; Orest’s Companion, Michael Mofidian This is the first time I have seen Elektra live in almost 50 years. I have not been to a performance of the work since 1977……and I definitely heard Birgit Nilsson sing the role.Continue reading “R.Strauss, Elektra: ROHCG, 18/1/24”

London Symphony Orchestra, Sir Simon Rattle conductor; Agneta Eichenholz, Jenůfa; Katarina Karnéus, Kostelnička; Aleš Briscein, Laca; Nicky Spence, Steva; Jan Martiník, Starek, the Foreman/Mayor; Carole Wilson, Grandmother Buryjovka; Claire Barnett-Jones, Barena/Herdswoman; Hanna Hipp, Rychtarka; Erika Baikoff, Jano; Evelin Novak, Karolka This was a very fine performance which might perhaps have been a great one hadContinue reading “LSO, Rattle: Janacek, Jenufa. Barbican, 11/1/24”